Chapter 1

It was the first time he had left since they were moved back to the eastern command center, since everything that had happened with the Elrics...Since everything had changed in general...Somehow he couldn't shake the feeling of unease creeping over him at the idea of having to go back after just a few months shy of a year, especially alone...

"Sir." Hawkeye handed him a briefcase which he had no doubt he had just left in the room...What the hell would he do without her? He had been stupid to let her stay for so many reasons.

"Have a safe trip sir."

"Thank you Havoc, you'll make sure he doesn't blow the place up right?" She nodded, there was something off about her today. Something was wrong that she was trying to hide from him and doing a damn good job, if he hadn't known her for so many years he would have been fooled, but the way she was turning her knuckles white clutching them together told enough. Why hadn't he at least checked on her before he had to leave? He leaned in closer to the other man. "Make sure shes okay will you? Do you know whats wrong?"

"No sir." Havoc whispered. "But I can assure you we're alright on our own. Get in the car. Tell him to get in the damn car Hawkeye." He said more loudly.

"You'll miss your train sir, we'll see you in a week." He wanted to argue her, tell her that he needed to make sure that everything was okay first, but the higher ups never liked lateness and even with the new regime that hadn't changed. So he squeezed her hand quickly, not caring that she didn't like shows of any emotional connection in public, and stepped into the car.

She watched the car round the corner until it was completely out of sight, and every bit of her body gave away letting the stabbing pain that had been increasing all day take over as she curled into herself pressing against the wall, she could feel Havoc's grasp holding her steady and off the ground where she knew she would otherwise have fallen.

"So you gonna tell me whats wrong now?" She clenched her hands against her abdomen, it felt like something was gnawing at her insides, and the sharp, shooting pains just kept getting worst as well as more frequent. The pain decreased again for the moment and she was able to breath again.

"I don't know." She tried her best to breath in deeply while the pain was still at bay. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably and was freezing from the cold sweat that drenched her skin. "I was sick last night, I thought it was nothing and would get better, but it just keeps getting worst." She gripped onto her pants desperate not to fall, he wrapped his arms around her tightly guiding her to the stairs, they both knew the pain had to be crippling if she was willing to allow herself to show a sign of weakness in such a public place. He just felt lucky that she couldn't think straight enough to hit him for trying to baby her.

"Don't make that face, I'm allowed to be concerned, we've been friends for long enough that when your doubled over in pain I get to make sure your alright." She thought about arguing, but changed her mind. He was right, he genuinely was concerned, just as she knew she was when he was hurt especially when it was this inexplicable! "Can you stand on your own?" She tried only to feel the stabbing sensation again. Hawkeye reluctantly reached out clutching his hand. "Damn...Riza we need to get you to a hospi..."

"No! I can't..." She sucked in air attempting to make her heart stop pounding. "I have to..."

"Do nothing, come on I'll take you, hey come here!" He yelled up the stairs to where their coworker was waiting.

"Whats up?" Lieutenant Breda crouched down in front of them taking in both of their stances. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head biting down on her lip, trying to keep from crying out in pain.

"We're taking her to the hospital." The two men helped her to her feet, standing close enough to ensure that she could hold herself up.

"The second we get there you two have to leave." She gasped.

"Yes sir." Havoc said putting an arm around her shoulder. She chewed on the inside of her mouth holding tightly onto both males.

"Don't worry Hawkeye, we won't tell anyone you can actually feel pain." Breda whispered holding his hand out so she could hold on. She entwined their fingers together tightly against the now resurfacing pain.

"I'm sorry you two." She hated feeling weak, out of control...

"Don't do that." Havoc laughed, helping her get comfortably into the car with their other friend in the back seat. "What type of friends would we be if we ignored you?" She didn't have an answer for that, she couldn't even wrap her brain around speaking. Instead she just curled up in the seat next to her coworker, she tried to pin point the pain but it seemed to be everywhere at the moment, what the hell is wrong with me today!

The doctor pressed on her abdomen, and even lightly it hurt terribly sending shooting sparks of intense pain through her body. She hissed against the shock. Twenty minutes after arriving the doctor was finally in the room, and not a minute to soon, the pain was coming almost constantly now and she was so thankful to her coworkers who were still sitting by her side, much to both her embarrassment and relief. Part of her wanted them to leave, but only for her pride, only so neither of them could see her like this...The doctor moved his hands lower pressing again, she cried out in pain pressing her eyes closed as both her friends grabbed onto her.

" Lieutenant is there any chance you could be pregnant?" Though groggy from pain, she still heard that loud and clear. She shook her head spraying sweat down her forehead.

"What? No..." She swallowed air quickly. "Why?" The doctor wrote down something in his notes smiling reassuringly.

"I would like you to stay here for a moment, I'll be right back, I am going to get another doctor to talk with you okay?" She nodded barely listening to what he was saying, trying to wrap her brain around what he was saying, trying to explain to herself why that would be his first question...

"I would know if I was pregnant right?" She said breathing as deeply as possible through the pain. "Women are supposed to know that sort of stupid crap right?" They looked at one another, obviously neither of them had an answer. They were clearly both thinking the same thing she was, the symptoms, they made sense...It would also explain how she could go from nothing to the intensity of pain that she was currently in.

"Could you be? I mean is that a...You know possibility?" Havoc asked.

"Well yes, I guess I could be, but no...I would know that...Ugh why are you two still here!" She snapped grinding her teeth together and clutching onto the bedsheets.

"It's better than working?" Breda suggested squeezing her hand again.

"There's no way that's even true." She hissed breathing through her nose to ensure she was still getting enough air in spit of the fact that she felt like she was splitting in half.

"One of us does, sadly, have to go back eventually." He admitted, Havoc nodded tightening his grasp on her fingers as he felt her flinch, she talked big but she didn't want them to leave, he knew from experience that being in pain by yourself was absolutely terrible, and it would probably be worst if it was inexplicable and constant.

"If you want I would go." He said, the red haired man shook his head.

"Nah, just call me when you know whats up okay?" He said. "Don't worry I'm sure you'll be fine." He assured her. She nodded gratefully, he was right, it would be fine, she thought, there was nothing she couldn't get through...

The doctors entered just as her friend left. The new person was smiling in that medical professional way that means you have to listen to me because I know everything. The woman stood by the end of the bed.

"Now I would like to kno..." The doctor began but Riza couldn't hear anything doubling over in blinding pain that coursed rapidly through her body. It was worst than before she was suddenly nauseous with pressure building as though it was attempting to rip her apart. The doctor was calling to another person whom Riza barely registered. "We are taking you upstairs." The first doctor told her, she wanted to argue, to explain that they had no idea what they were talking about since she wasn't pregnant, but the painful confusion begged to differ and she just wanted it to stop soon.

"Sir only family can come..."

"I'm her..."

"He's my..."

"Brother." They said in unison. It would have been funny in any other situation how quickly they could lie for one another. At the moment though she was just glad that he was clearly not intending to leave her alone.

"Thank you so much Jean." She whispered, he gave her a crocked smile.

"You can owe me if you want, but really its no big deal. Lets just make sure everything is alright." She nodded quickly.

"Definitely, lets do this." How was this where they were in such a short time...Most importantly, what in the world am I going to do? She thought as they made their way down the hall.

Her brain only seemed to register half of what was happening. She could see their mouths moving through squinted eyes, as though the whole room was in a thick fog. She clutched on to the hand she barely felt and couldn't even hear the words of encouragement from the people around her. She breathed through the pain as she would with any other injury, just like anything else she chanted like a mantra, everything was going to be alright, all she had to do was push!

She threw herself back on the bed relief washing over her whole body...The pressure was completely gone, she felt like she'd been pulled through a clothing press and hung out to dry, but it was over...Well actually...

"Congratulations, its a girl." Or maybe it was just the beginning.

So this being the first chapter, and my first in this section I hope it wasn't to unbearably out of character, even though I know it was. Otherwise what do you think? Worthy in anyway?